of cleveland



` Apnl 30, 1929. C, w. THOMAS 1,111,13r

GRATE FOR STOVES AND FURNACES Filed Jan. 9, 1924 t :1.11am @Maja-4- l l s l E s l nu a II/IIIIIIIIIIIIIlll/'lill'IIlIIlllIlIll/llll Patented Apr. 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES CHARLES W. THOMAS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE THOM PANY, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION or, OHIO.

1,711,131 PATENTNOFFICEf As STOKEB OOM- GRATE FOR STOVES AND FURNACES.

Application filed January 9, 1924. Serial NO. 685,075. y

The pref-sent invention relates to stoves and furnaces, and more particularly to an improved grate for use in connection With the saine.

One object of the invention is to provide a grate which is adjustable so as to open and close to the desired extent Within practical limits draft openings, and also ash sifting or removing openings so that the fuel supported on the gratemay be provided with the necessary draft for causing the consumption of the fuel either rapidly or .slowly as desired and to also distribuite the draft uniformly throughout the body of fuel.

Jf-uiother object of the invention is to pro` vide a grate made up of a. plurality of relatively movable fuel supporting Sections which are interconnected to limit their relative movements, whereby shaking down of the ashes may be effected.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable grate of this character which is designed to separate the body of fuel in a uniform manner so that the fuel may be suijiported in a substantially conical inass to .more evenly distribute the fuel over the grate and tins insure the even and complete consumption of the fuel and the uniform removal of the ashes as the fuel is being consumed.

The invention still further aims to provide u grate of this character Which is composed o; a plurality of telescoping sections one of which is ai'lapted to be moved vertically, and the sections are provided with rneansfor engaging the adjacent sections in consecutive order and one at a time during the movement of the first section.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates from the :following description. taken in connection With the accompanying drawing.

,ln the drawings, i

Figli re 1 is a vertical section taken through the lower end of a stove or furnace constructed according to the present invention with an adjustable grate.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken through the same immediately above the grate and substantially on the line 2 2 of Figure .1. y

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 1 and showing the grate in open and red. position;

Figure et is a fragmentary enlarged section taken horizontallybeneath the grate on the line H of Figure l, and looking upwardly toward the bottom of the grate, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional vieiv taken throughone side `portieri of the grate substantially on the line 5-5 of `Figure 4. l

" Referring to the drawings, indicates the fouter casing of a stove or furnace, which `for illustrative purposes, is shown as a furnace of the hot air type suitable for heating purposes. The casing 10 is provided Withacombined fire pot and ash pit casting 117 preferably having the usual inwardly extending lugs 12 for support-inge grate and provided at its front side with a. housing or boxing 13, which extends through the front Wall of the casing 10 to permit the removal of ashes and access to the gra-te adjusting and shaking inechanislnto be later referred to. The outer end of the housing 13 may be "closedby a suitable door (not shoivn). The upper portion of the casing 10 is provided with anopening,

adapted to be closed by adoor, so that fuel may be suppliedto the grate and fire bed.

rlhe furnace or stove 10 is provided with a bottom 14 arranged to close the lower end of the furnace and to support the casting 1l and may be integral therewith, as shown. The bottom 14 has an air inlet passage "15 nf'hichcomn'lunicates with the chamber between-thecasing `10 and the casting 11. The above parts are merelyconventional and are illustra-ted and described merely for the purpose of showing one device to which the grate of the present invention maybe applied.

The grate is composed ofa center piece 16, preferably of circular shape, and a plurality of concentrically arranged ring portions 17 arranged about the center piece 16 and being enclosed in an `outer ring part 18 adapted to rest upon thelugs 12 in the stove or furnace body 11.` rllhe inner or center piece 16 and the rings 1'7 may he arranged in a horizontal planeor disposed relative toeach other above or below that plane to increase combustion, as desired; but'preferably these elements are arranged to be moved upwardly. Arranged in the top of the ash pitof the casting 11 and closely beneath the lugslQ isa spider 19 having a raised hub 20 and radially extending arms 19a carried by the huhQQThe arms 19a may be integrally `or Otherwise suitably supported upon the inner wall of the casting 11. The hub 2() has a vertical opening therethrough in axial alignment with the center piece 16 ot the grate. and through which is slidably mounted a tubular or hollow post 21, the upper end of which is suitably connected to the under side of the center piece 16 of the grate. The hollow post 21 is slidably and rotatably mounted over a spindle or standard Q2 which is mounted on a toot piece 23 resting on the bottoni 14 oiI the furnace and which is adapted to guide the post Q1 in its vertical movements.

For vibrating and turning the post 21, the latter has pivoted to it a forked hand lever 241 which projects outwardly through the boi;- ing 13 a distance suilicient to be readily grasped by the operator. A link 25 is rotatably mounted at one end on the spindle, preterably between the lower end of the post 2Q and the :toot piece 23, and at its other end is pivoted to the hand lever E24 intermediate the ends thereof so as to serve as a movable tulcrum upon which the lever' Q4 may be swung to raise and loi 7er the tubular post 21 on the spindle and to thus raise and lower the center piece 16 of the grate.

A The outermost ring 18 comprises a fiat an* nular body with radially extending lugs or teeth 26 which are adapted to overlap and seat upon the inwardly extending lugs 12 of the stove casting 11. The intermediate rings 17 may be of any desired number to till the space between the outer ring 18 and the center piece 16. Each ring 17 comprises an annular n body having a `tlatiupper surface and provided around its outer edge with radially extending teeth or lugs 27 adapted to movably tit within the inner marginal edge of the outer adjacent ring, to form spacers between the rings and bearing surfaces for them to slide or telescope on. Certain of the teeth 27 are provided with depending members i278 having hooks 29, which project outwardly into position beneath the outer adjacent ring so that when one ring 17 is elevated to an eX- ten't sullicient to brin the hoolr 29 of its members 28 against the next outer adjacent ring, the latter' ring then elevated with the ring 17.4 The depeiuling members 2S are of the desired length to provide a vertical space between adj acont rings when the inner ring is elevated out of the lnirizontal plane oit the outer ring and to permit the passage ot air upwardly between the rings and also permit the falling oi" ashes downwardly between the rings when the latter are vibrated. The teeth Q7 which are disposed between those teeth which carry the hooks 29, are provided upon their under sides with depending ribs 30 which are of less length than the depending members for the hooks Q9, but are of such length that when any or all ot the rings are lowered, the ribs 30 adjacent to and in` alignment with the spider 19`may rest on the arms of the latter, and thereby support the lowered grate rines in a horizontal position.

It will oe noted, particularly trom Figures 1 and 4 that the outer side walls 31 o1 the rings, between the teeth thereof, are sloped downwardly and inwardly, this construction being preferable so as to direct air currents upwardly and outwardly in a direction to Yard the flaring inner wall ot the tire box in the casting 11. Thus the air which is admitted up through the rings, and between the rings when raised, is spread or deflected outwardly in its passage upwardly through the grate.

For the purpose of interlocking the rings and center piece so as to turn with the holhnv post 21 when the handle Qel is moved troni side to side or oseillated about the spindle Q2, the outer ring 16 and the intermediate rings 1T are provided at spaced points with depending luge 32 which are adapted to be cngaged by the sides o'l`i the hooks Q9 carried by the next adjacent inner ring, so that it the center section is oscillated by the handle 2i the hooks on each ring will engage the lugs on an adjacent ring to el'lect oscillatory movement of the latter.

rl"he center piece 16 forms a cap for the upper end ot the hollow post 21 and it preterably has a convex upper surface which rises above the plane ot the grate rings when the latter are in their lower position. The center piece 16 is provided at its marginal edge with radially extending teeth 31 which are adaptedto slidably lit within the inner marginal edge ot the adjacent ring 17. Gertainof the teeth 8i are 1novided with depending members 28@ having hooks 29a so as to interlock with the adjacent ring 1T when the center piece 16 is raised to or beyond a predcterinined height.

ln use, fuel is placed upon the grate in the ordinary manner. and when it is desired to permit additional air to pass up throug'rh the grate it is only necessary to depress the outer end ot the hand lever tor moving the hollow posi al, upwardly upon the spindle and to ia'se the center piece 16, tirs-t to an er- 'tent su'llirient to engage the hooks 2W oit the couter pir-ee with the first ring` 1i'. This provides a plurality oi" vertical air passages or slots between the center piece 16 and the ring 17 and between the depending members 28 and hooks Q9 ot the center piece 16. Should further draft be required the handle l2-2i is turn ther depressed so as to further raise the center piece 16 and through it innermost ring 17 until the next outer ring 17 is caught by the hooks 28 of the first ring when further air admitted between the two intermediate rin 17. The handle 24 may be further depr nl, it desired, until all of the interinodia e rings have been -ele y'ated The i Yall et the casting 13 may be provided at one side with a raclr to engage the handle 2st sothat lill! llltl air spaces therebetween, a center section, and means for raising the center section, and follower hooks carried by the sections adapted to engage adjacent sections for consecutively elevating thesections as the center section is raised.

7. A grate comprising a plurality of concentric sections having radial teeth and de pendingl supporting ribs on the teeth, a spider supported beneath the section tor engaging said ribs to hold the sections when in the lon'- ered position, means for elevating the center section, and hooks carried by the sections projecting' beneath adjacent sections and spaced downwardly therefrom for engaging the adjacent sections when the first sections are elevated to the desired extent.

8. A grate comprising.` a plurality oit loosely connected concentric sections, a post member connected to the center section, a hand lever connected to the post section for elevating the saine to litt the grate sections and open the saine, and means on said sections 'tor interlocking the same for rotary movement.

9. A grate comprising a plurality;v of coin centric loosely connected sections, an @leviting handle connected to the middle section for lifting it and for consecutively liftingl the remaining sections of the grate, said handle being` adapted to be oscillated laterally tor turning' the center section, and interlocking' means on the sections for vibratingl the same in a circular path.

10. In a tui-nace, the combination of a cas ing, a support Within said casing, and a grate rotatably enga-ring said support, said grate comprising inner and outer sections and intermediate members, interlocking connections between said sections and intermediate members arranged to limit but permitting relativelyY rotary movements therebetween. and mea-ns for rotating one of said sections.

1l. In a `furnace, the combination of a cas ing, a support Within said easing, and a grate rotatably engaging said support, said grate comprising inner and outer sections and intei-mediate members disposed in concentric relation, one Within the other, and movable vertically and rotatively relative to each other, interlocking connections between said sections and members arranged to limit their vertical and rotative movements, and means i'or reciproeatingI and oscillntina,` one olf said sections.

l2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a casingforming; a lire box, an'ash chamber and a heating;l chamber, a grate vtor uel. said girate comprising a plurality ot cimeenlrically arranged memlfiers arranged to he disposed in a connnon hori zontal plane or in stepped relations-ildp, means lfor supporting said members independently in a horizontal. position, seti-i oit devices carried by each oi" said members arranged to limit their movement relatively one to another in either directirm, and means acting' on one ot said members to more one or more thereof into steijiped relation and to return them to normal position.

125.' .ln apparatus of the class described, the combination oi a casing lnfining,` a lire bon, an ash chamber and a heating;4 chamber. a `grate `tor fuel. said ,crate comprisinga` plu rality ci conccntrically arranged men'ibcrs arranged to he moved vertically into stepped relationship, one relative to amither. and also angularly, each relative to the other. devices carried lby said members arranged to limit ci 'her of saidmovements, and 1n lans tor moving said members vertically or angular-ly.

A. In apparatus oit the cla lest-ribed. the combination oii a. casing forming a tirebox. an ash chamber and aflieating;` rhamber, a grate 'for fuel, :d girate comprising a plurality ot concentrically arranged members arranged to he moved vertically into stepped relationship, one relative to another. and also angnlarly, each relative to the other, devices carried by said members arranged to limit either oit said movements. and means `tor moving' said members vertically or anlegularly. said moving means comprisiinz; a vertical shaft, a sleeve rotatably and s idably inounted on said sli-att and eonnertml with one ot said members and an operatinp` dei'icc connected to said sleeve.

In testimony .vhereoi, l have hereunto subscribed my naine.

CHARLES lV. THOMAS.

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